Shoe protector



June 1, 1937. B. J. coHEN 2,

SHOE PROTECTOR Filed April 18, 1936 INVENTOR Patented June 1, 1937UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFlCE SHOE PROTECTOR Application April 18, 1936,Serial No. 75,097

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a protector for shoes and more especially to acover for protecting shoes against soiling or damage during themanufacture thereof.

It is the common practice, during the manufacture of shoes having uppersof light colors or of delicate or expensive fabrics and skins, toprotect the uppers against soiling or disfiguretion, through contactwith the hands of workmen. Paper or fabric covers are made up as near asis practical to the shapes of the uppers, the covers serving asenvelopes in which the shoes are placed after lasting. In order tofacilitate the handling of the covered shoes the covers are first lastedover the uppers and then temporarily embodied in the shoe structures asparts thereof. In the case of a Goodyear welt shoe the cover is held onthe shoe by the inseam which secures the welt to the upper and insole. wThe inseam may then be trimmed, and succeeding operations carried out,without danger of the cover being displaced. Whatever the type of shoeto which the cover is attached, the latter remains on the shoe until theshoe is finished as whereupon the cover is removed by tearing or cuttingit at its front and back and then either pulling or cutting it away fromthe inseam.

The usual cover is provided with a flare toe formed by a continuouscurved edge having suflicient material therein that this portion of thecover may be gathered over the toe of the shoe. An operation similar tolasting is required which means two separate and distinct lastingoperations in making the shoe. The shoe with the cover applied and sidetacked must be taken a second time tothe bed lasting machine where theflare toe of the cover is gathered in over the toe of the shoe, theexcess material being first wiped in and then tacked or wired in place.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to simplify theprocess of manufacturing shoes requiring the use of covers as aprotection against soiling and more especially to cheapen the cost ofapplying such covers to the lasted shoes.

Another object of the invention is to bring about a form of cover for ashoe which may be applied to a shoe in a single and simple operationavoiding the necessity of returning the shoe to the bed lasting machinefor a second toe lasting.

A feature of the invention resides in a form of cover for a shoe inwhich that portion of the cover depended on to protect the toe of theupper is so shaped or arranged as to receive the toe and adjacent partsof the shoe bottom in a sufficiently close fit so that no toe lasting ofthe cover is required, at the same time facilitating sewing the inseamabout the toe.

In order that they may have the approximate shape of the lasted shoe,shoe covers have been made with a vamp and quarter. The quarter has 5been folded at the instep and stitched at the heel. The vamp has beenfolded in continuation of the quarter fold to embrace the opposite sidesof the toe. The rear edge of the vamp has been lap-seamed to the forwardedge of the quarter. It has been found that a seam at the inner face ofthe cover will rub and injure the more delicate upper materials. Thisinvention avoids the use of internally exposed stitching. The vamp andquarter are connected by an unlapped seam thus providing for a smoothinternal surface and eliminating any rubbing or abrasion of the upper byconnecting seams.

To the accomplishment of these and other ends, the invention comprisesnovel features and combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a cover for ashoe, constructed in accordance with the invention;

- Fig. 2 is a planview of the toe portion of the improved cover, showingthe vamp at an intermediate stage of its construction;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the improved cover assembled on thetoe end of a lasted shoe.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing l0indicates the complete cover which, in accordance with usual practice,is made in two parts which, for the sake of convenience, may be termedthe quarter II and vamp l2. The two parts of the cover are shaped to fitagainst and completely cover the corresponding parts of the upper of alasted shoe, as well as providing edge portions for lasting allowance.

In accordance with the usual practice the vamp I2 is made of one pieceof material folded to form two sides and connected at its rear edge 13to the forward edge I 4, of the quarter H, by butting the out-turnededges and stitching at l5 across the base of the butt. The quarter II isalso folded along its instep to form side portions having their rearends I 6 and i1 stitched together by a through and through seam as at[8. By the use of such seams a smooth internal surface is providedandrubbing or abrasion of the shoe uppers by rough seams or stitches isavoided.

The toe end it of the vamp l2 differs in marked respect from the usualrounded flare toe of the prior types of covers. As shown in Fig. 2, thematerial of the vamp is shaped to provide two adjoining convex toe endportions 20 and 2| arranged at either side of the longitudinal fore partfold line of the vamp. When the vamp is folded one rounded edge portionoverlies the other. The .curved edges of the double toe of the vamp arestitched together by a through and through seam 22. This produces aclosed toe end on the cover corresponding in shape to the curvature overthe toe end of the shoe which may easily be slipped or hooked over thetoe of the lasted shoe'in applying the cover thereto. Because of itspocket-like toe end the improved cover is called a hooked toe cover incontradistinction to the usual flare toe cover.

A lasted shoe 24 may be readily inserted into the cover through thebottom opening 25, the toe of the shoe being inserted first so that itmay pass into the pocket of the hooked toe and thus permit the rear partof the cover to be slipped over the counter portion of the shoe. It willbe apparent that the sides of the cover will be spread apart by the shoeas it enters and fllls the cover, however, as the lower edges of thecover adjacent the toe seam 22 are held by the seam against spreadingmovement, these edge portions are drawn inwardly across and against thebottom of the shoe. The improved form of shoe cover fits so well overthe toe of a lasted shoe that no lasting of the cover at the toe of theshoe is required. This eliminates the second lasting operation involvinga wiring down or tacking down of the excess material present in a shoecover having a flare toe. The shoe goes through all of its subsequentoperations more rapidly as it is not necessary to return the shoe to thebed laster after applying the cover with the consequent saving of timeand expense.

It will be understood that the cover is tacked to the shoe along thesides of the cover to conform it to the shoe these lasting operationsfollowing the usual practices. After the cover has been assembled on thelasted shoe the usual operations incident to the completion of the shoemay be carried out, the hooked toe rendering it much easier to sew thewelt about the toe because of the elimination of bunched or gatheredcover material in the angle outside of the insole sewing rib.

It will be noted that a cover made in accordance with the inventionprovides for a minimum amount of cover material to be embodied in theinseam or other part of the shoe structure. As a result the cover may bereadily separated from the shoe when the latter is completed.Furthermore the cover may be embodied in the shoe with: out anysacriflce of qualitfy in the finished shoe.

The most usual material for shoe covers is paper but this invention,while well adapted for embodiment in paper covers, may be embodied inshoe covers made of textiles or analogous flexible material suitable forthe purpose.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that the same is'not to be limited tothe features shown but is capable of modification and variation withinthe spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. Whatis claimed as new, is:-

1. A shoe upper protecting cover adapted to conform approximately to theshape of a shoe on a last, said cover having a continuous open bottomand excess marginal edge portions forming free lasting allowance, andhaving a pocket at the extreme toe end of the cover co-operating withthe lasting allowance adjoining said pocket to draw the latter intocontact with the shoe bottom upon stretching the cover over the heel endof the shoe.

2. A paper shoe upper protecting cover having an open bottom shaped toslip over the upper while on a last and having excess side material atthe edge of its open bottom forming free lasting allowance forlasting-in with the upper, each of its two sides having its toe endrounded, and the rounded perimeters of said toe ends being stitchedtogether by a through and through seam that closes the extreme forwardend of said open bottom and forms a shoe toe receiving pocket shaped tooverlap the bottom of the shoe with its central seamed portion when thetoe end of the shoe is enveloped by said pocket, thereby drawing theadjoining free lasting allowance at each side over the shoe bottom insubstantially unpuckered condition.

3. A shoe upper protecting cover sized for last ing-in with an upperconsisting of two flexible side portions depending from a fold definingthe medial line of the instep and forepart, each side having a separaterounded toe end and said two overlaid toe ends being stitched togetherby a seam starting at the forward end of the fold then following thecontour of said toe ends and terminating at a 'point approximately belowits starting point thus leaving the bottom of the cover open except fora shallow pocket at its forward end adapted to receive merely theextreme toe end of the shoe to be protectd.

BERNARD J. COHEN.

